Module 6: Consultation & Collaboration in LTC Practice
157 6.5.2 Membership
Association Membership
Membership in professional organizations is a way for professionals with comparable objectives to link together to have the voice of many, versus the voice of one. Professional Nursing organizations and networks are effective tools for:
- Professional development
- Career advancement
- Practice support[1]
Joining an organization can assist with:
- Personal growth
- Increased professional potential
- Knowledge growth
- Support to generate change
- Legal support/advice[2]
Communities of practice
As we have discussed in previous lessons, communities of practice are important as a professional learning and support strategy. These are a type of professional association that have the potential to:
- Connect people
- Provide a shared context for people to communicate and share
- Foster conversation between people who come together to:
- Explore possibilities
- Resolve perplexing problems
- Generate new opportunities
- Stimulate learning through communication, mentoring, coaching, and self-reflection
- Capture and share current understanding to help individuals improve their practice
- Present collaborative practices to groups and organizations
- Help people organize around focused actions
- Produce innovative understandings to help people transform their practice[3]